Brightness and power efficiency in augmented reality (ar) display devices

Abstract

Techniques for enhancing brightness and power efficiency in augmented reality (AR) display devices are described. To enhance brightness and power efficiency a near-eye display device's duty cycle may be adjusted based on a type of usage (e.g., world-locked or head-locked); a persistence or a display rate may be varied based on head movement speed; the brightness may be adjusted based on sensed ambient light; ambient brightness may be matched by utilizing camera-based scene understanding determining a user's gaze direction and then decreasing brightness of the gaze's peripheral; the display brightness may be controlled based on gaze and/or eye motion; and/or if the user is moving, world-locked rendering (WLR) targets and/or refresh rates may be altered, or WLR varied for peripheral content based on a comparison of gaze direction and a virtual object location.

1 . A near-eye display device, comprising:
 a transparent display to present augmented reality content;   at least one sensor to detect a parameter associated with the near-eye display device; and:   a controller communicatively coupled to the display and the at least one sensor, the controller to:
 determine based on the detected parameter whether the display is in a world-lock view or in a head-lock view; and 
 in response to determining the display is in the head-lock view, increase a duty cycle for the display, thereby increasing a brightness of the display. 
   
     
     
         2 . The near-eye display device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further to:
 reduce a frame rate of the display.   
     
     
         3 . The near-eye display device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the at least one sensor is to detect a head movement speed; and   the controller is further to adjust at least one of a persistence or a frame rate based on the detected head movement speed.   
     
     
         4 . The near-eye display device of  claim 3 , wherein
 the at least one sensor is to detect the head movement speed being reduced; and   the controller is further to increase the persistence or reduce the frame rate based on the reduced head movement speed.   
     
     
         5 . The near-eye display device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the at least one sensor is to detect an ambient light level for the near-eye display device; and   the controller is further to adjust a brightness for at least a portion of the display based on the detected ambient light level.   
     
     
         6 . The near-eye display device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the at least one sensor is to detect a fovea region of a wearer of the near-eye display device; and   the controller is further to reduce a brightness for periphery of the detected fovea region.   
     
     
         7 . The near-eye display device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the at least one sensor is to detect a gaze of a wearer of the near-eye display device; and   the controller is further to:
 determine whether the wearer is looking at an environment of the near-eye display device or at the presented augmented reality content; and 
 adjust a brightness of the presented augmented reality content based on whether the wearer is looking at the environment of the near-eye display device or at the presented augmented reality content. 
   
     
     
         8 . The near-eye display device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the at least one sensor is to detect a gaze of a wearer of the near-eye display device; and   the controller is further to:
 determine whether the wearer is looking at an object in the presented augmented reality content; and 
 adjust a brightness of peripheral content in the presented augmented reality content based on object the wearer is looking at. 
   
     
     
         9 . The near-eye display device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the at least one sensor is to detect whether a wearer of the near-eye display device is moving; and   the controller is further to adjust at least one of a world-locked rendering target or a refresh rate based on whether the wearer of the near-eye display device is moving.   
     
     
         10 . The near-eye display device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further to:
 determine whether a wearer of the near-eye display device is viewing the presented augmented reality content; and   adjust at least one of a brightness, a duty cycle, or a frame rate of the presented augmented reality content based on the determination.   
     
     
         11 . The near-eye display device of  claim 10 , wherein the controller is to determine whether the wearer of the near-eye display device is viewing the presented augmented reality content based on at least one of an external device usage, a type of the presented augmented reality content, or a wearer action. 
     
     
         12 . A method, comprising:
 displaying, through a transparent display of a near-eye display device, augmented reality content to a user;   detecting, through at least one sensor, a parameter associated with the near-eye display device;   determining based on the detected parameter whether the display is in a world-lock view or in a head-lock view; and   in response to determining the display is in the head-lock view, increasing a duty cycle or reduce a frame rate for the display.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 detecting, through the at least one sensor, a head movement speed of the user being reduced; and   increasing a persistence or reducing a frame rate of the display based on the reduced head movement speed.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 detecting, through the at least one sensor, an ambient light level for the near-eye display device; and   adjusting a brightness for at least a portion of the display based on the detected ambient light level.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 detecting, through the at least one sensor, a fovea region of user; and   reducing a brightness for periphery of the detected fovea region.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 detecting, through the at least one sensor, a gaze of the user;   determining whether the user is looking at an environment of the near-eye display device or at the presented augmented reality content; and   adjusting a brightness of the presented augmented reality content based on whether the user is looking at the environment of the near-eye display device or at the presented augmented reality content.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 detecting, through the at least one sensor, whether the user is moving; and   adjusting at least one of a world-locked rendering target or a refresh rate of the display based on whether the user is moving.   
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having an executable stored thereon, which when executed instructs a processor to:
 display, through a transparent display of a near-eye display device, augmented reality content to a user;   detect, through at least one sensor, a parameter associated with the near-eye display device;   determine based on the detected parameter whether the display is in a world-lock view or in a head-lock view; and   in response to determining the display is in the head-lock view, increase a duty cycle or reduce a frame rate for the display.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein the executable further instructs the processor to:
 determine whether the user is viewing the presented augmented reality content; and   adjust at least one of a brightness, a duty cycle, or a frame rate of the presented augmented reality content based on the determination.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 19 , wherein the executable further instructs the processor to:
 determine whether the user is viewing the presented augmented reality content based on at least one of an external device usage, a type of the presented augmented reality content, or a user action.